Red Sox Re-Sign Mitch Moreland

The Boston Red Sox re-signed first baseman Mitch Moreland to a one-year, $3 million deal on Tuesday, according to a major league source. The deal includes a $3 million club option for the 2021 season that includes a $500,000 buyout. Pitcher Denyi Reyes was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Moreland, a two-time Gold […]

Wilmer Flores' Market Picking Up

The market for free-agent infielder Wilmer Flores is starting to move, according to sources. With the free-agent market for hitters really thinning out at this point in the offseason, Flores is one of the more attractive utility men still available. The 28-year-old had just 265 at-bats with the Diamondbacks in 89 games last year due […]

Astros Choose Dusty Baker As Next Manager

The Houston Astros are expected to choose Dusty Baker as their next manager following the fallout from the sign-stealing scandal, according to a person familiar with the hiring. Baker's contract isn't officially finalized, but the 70-year-old three-time National League Manager of the Year is lined up to receive the job. He has guided four teams […]

Ryan Braun Could Consider Retirement After 2020 Season

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/first baseman Ryan Braun, who is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, acknowledged that the 2020 season could be the final season of his career. The 36-year-old continues to be an injury risk for fantasy owners, but he has remained productive when on the field, slashing .285/.343/.505 with 22 home runs, […]

Mets Add Eduardo Nunez

The New York Mets signed infielder Eduardo Nunez to a minor league deal on Saturday, according to a source. The 32-year-old will be a non-roster invite to spring training. The 10-year veteran debuted with the Yankees in 2010 and spent the last three seasons with the Red Sox. Nunez has been a key utility player […]

Early Mock Draft Analysis: MLB Mixed Leagues

Don't tell us it's not draft season yet! Truth be told, the RotoBaller crew was already planning a mock draft days after the World Series ended. As it turns out, we decided to wait until some free agent moves were made and settled for a slow draft that began shortly after the Winter Meetings. We […]

Top 250 Prospects for 2020 Dynasty Leagues

It’s hard to believe it’s that time again. Major League Baseball’s spring training is just weeks away now, which means it's also fantasy baseball season. This year at RotoBaller, we’re rolling out even more in-depth prospect coverage — starting with a ranking of the Top 250 prospects for dynasty leagues. That’s right. Not 100. Not […]

Freddie Freeman Working Out Pain-Free

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (elbow) said he's been working out "full bore" since last month without pain for the first time in nine years after having two bone spurs and three fragments removed from his elbow. The doctor that operated on Freeman told him his joint was completely closed, and he was surprised […]

Ryan Zimmerman Staying With Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal to bring first baseman Ryan Zimmerman back on Friday night, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. The contract could max out at $5 million based on incentives for games played and plate appearances. The 35-year-old has been the face of the franchise […]

Houston Astros Cheating Scandal: Fantasy Baseball Impact

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2020 fantasy baseball season and keeps you updated with all the latest news and analysis Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - Monday through Friday from 6-7 am ET and from 1-2 pm ET. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live […]

Neil Walker Agrees With Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies signed infielder Neil Walker to a minor league deal on Wednesday, according to a source. Walker will receive an invitation to big league camp this spring. The 34-year-old switch-hitter slashed a weak .261/.344/.395 with eight home runs and 38 RBI in 337 at-bats for the Marlins in 2019. If Walker makes the […]

Luis Rojas To Be New Mets Manager

The New York Mets are finalizing a deal with Luis Rojas on Wednesday to be the next manager. He'll replace Carlos Beltran, who the team parted ways with last week in the wake of Beltran's role in the Astros sign-stealing scandal. The 38-year-old was the team's quality control coach in 2019 and interviewed for the […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Barrels

Last time, we looked at how exit velocity (or EV) is only one piece of the fantasy analysis puzzle. Baseball broadcasts will commonly cite Launch Angle (LA) to complement their EV figures, but it is given in terms of degrees. Am I evaluating a baseball player or trying to find the hypotenuse of an isosceles […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: BABIP for Hitters

The most accessible of the fantasy-relevant advanced stats is BABIP, or Batting Average on Balls In Play. It simply measures a player's batting average on balls in play, with outcomes such as strikeouts and home runs removed from consideration. In general, the league average hovers around .300, a nice round number to remember. Many know […]

Eric Samulski's Prospects Live Bestball 50 Draft Breakdown

This offseason, Prospects Live announced a new draft format that they were hoping would bring together the dynasty crowd with more redraft-heavy players. The format was simple and also completely complicated. Each league would be a five-year Best Ball Dynasty featuring 30 teams where each owner would draft a roster of 50 players, and the […]

Will There Be Fantasy Fallout for the Astros?

The Houston Astros have landed in hot water this offseason after receiving sign-stealing allegations against them dating back to their World Series championship season of 2017. A long and thorough investigation by MLB has confirmed that the elaborate scheme to notify batters of specific pitches was indeed true, and the organization is now facing the […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Exit Velocity

If you've watched a baseball broadcast in the so-called Statcast Era, you have undoubtedly noticed the broadcasters commenting on a batted ball's exit velocity, or EV. Many have taken to using stats like Hard% and Soft% to forecast how a player should be performing, expecting larger Hard% rates to produce larger BABIP and HR/FB figures. […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: HR/FB

Using BABIP to predict a player's batting average is great. Average is a category in many league formats and every hit is an opportunity to steal a base or score a run. But most owners find the long ball sexier. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI. Many owners […]

How To Win Your Fantasy Baseball Leagues on Draft Day

I hate intros. Nobody takes the time to read these things. I could say whatever I wanted and it would literally pass zero sets of eyes. Watch.... I have hemorrhoids! See? No one. But in the rare occasion that one of you sad saps does in fact read this paragraph before jumping to the meat […]

Josh Bell Avoids Arbitration

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $4.8 million deal, according to a source. It was Bell's final year of arbitration eligibility. The 27-year-old was a breakout star in 2019, slashing .277/.367/.569 with 37 home runs, 94 runs and 116 RBI in 527 at-bats. It was […]

Mitch Moreland Could Return To Boston

Once considered a long shot to re-sign with the Boston Red Sox, it's looking more likely that first baseman Mitch Moreland will return. Sam Travis is now off the 40-man roster, and only Michael Chavis and Bobby Dalbec are capable of playing first base, but both of them are right-handed bats on a team loaded […]

Rays Acquire Jose Martinez, Randy Arozarena

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired outfielders Jose Martinez and Randy Arozarena from the Cardinals on Thursday in exchange for top left-handed pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore and low-level catching prospect Edgardo Rodriguez. The Cardinals also sent a competitive-balance Round A pick (38th overall) to the Rays, who sent their Round B pick (66th overall) to St. […]

Brewers Agree With Logan Morrison

The Milwaukee Brewers agreed to an undisclosed deal with first baseman/outfielder Logan Morrison on Thursday, according to sources. Morrison slugged a career-high 38 home runs and drove in 85 runs in 149 games for the Rays in 2017, but he has fallen off a cliff since. He hit a miserable .186/.276/.368 with 15 homers and […]

Brewers Give Craig Counsell Contract Extension

The Milwaukee Brewers are signing manager Craig Counsell to a contract extension that will run through the 2023 season, according to sources. It's a well-deserved extension, as Counsell led the Brew Crew to a National League Championship appearance in 2018 before a wild-card showing this past season. The 49-year-old coach started as the head man […]

Top 570: Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings (January)

Welcome back RotoBallers, and Happy New Year! Below you will find our staff's early 2020 fantasy baseball tiered rankings (top 570) for mixed leagues. In case you missed it, you can also see our tiered positional rankings and position-by-position analysis breakdowns as well. Four of our lead fantasy baseball analysts - Nick Mariano, Pierre Camus, Riley Mrack and Nicklaus Gaut - have analyzed the […]

Nationals Agree With Eric Thames

The Washington Nationals agreed to a one-year deal with first baseman Eric Thames on Tuesday that guarantees him $4 million, according to a source familiar with the deal. Thames will make $3 million in 2020 with a $1 million buyout of a mutual option for 2021. The 33-year-old averaged 24 home runs and an .848 […]

Mets Shopping Jed Lowrie, Dominic Smith

The New York Mets have discussed with teams the concept of taking second baseman Jed Lowrie and first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith as part of a joint package in a trade. Lowrie is injury-prone and will make $10 million in 2020, while Smith doesn't have a clear path to regular playing time and is out of […]

Top 30 Impact Prospects for 2020 Redraft Leagues

When last we checked in on the top rookies for 2020, the World Series had yet to be decided, the Astros’ obsession with garbage cans was still a secret, and Neal Huntington was running the Pirates. A number of things around baseball have changed since the last update but few, if any, moves have rattled […]

Edwin Encarnacion Signs With White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have signed first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion to a one-year, $12 million contract that includes a club option for $12 million in 2021. The White Sox struggled mightily to find production out of their designated hitter spot in 2019. Encarnacion hit .244 with 34 home runs and 86 RBI in 109 […]

2020 Offseason First Base Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next baseball season, so here we deliver our 2020 fantasy baseball rankings to those of you looking to scratch your fantasy itch. Whether you're already eliminated from fantasy football contention, or you're getting a head start on next year's keeper selections, RotoBaller has got you […]